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Monday, August 11, 2014

Highlights of Utah Transit Authority board meeting

Today @RideUTA executives begin a board meeting and retreat. The media is in attendance for the board meeting today and local reporter Ben Winslow covered the meeting live via twitter.

Highlight's from @BenWinslow 's live tweet coverage of #UTAMeeting:

- Ridership to @SLCairport is "Excellent".
- UTA considering getting into bike sharing biz.
- UTA looking at ways to expand services with programs such as more night trips but ridership isn't at levels like other services.
- UTA looking at all kinds of alternative financing, has the money they need to run what they have now.
- UTA to support clean air initiatives including more passes, development around transit lines.
- Train stops are huge business for ride-share services (Uber, Lyft). Even a UTA board member has hired an Uber driver for a ride from a train station.
- GM Mike Allegra reports "Huge return on investment" for Sugarhouse Streetcar.
- UTA plans no fare hikes.
- UTA fares on par with communities like Dallas, Atlanta, San Diego and Portland.
- UTA says it uses a "market based approach" to fares to charge what the market will bear.
- New Student Consignment fare program offers 25% discount on 30 day and semester passes.
- UTA has a new "consolidated contract" with State of Utah for eco-passes for every state employee.
- UTA is pushing riders to adopt electronic fares including Google Wallet, Isis, chirp, etc.
- UTA is considering distance-based fares.
- Any changes to fare policy will include public comment.